Dual stage actuated (DSA) suspensions, also sometimes known as microactuated or second stage actuated suspensions, are generally known. Such head suspensions typically include a base plate for attaching the head suspension to a disk drive actuator, a mounting region attached to the base plate, a load beam attached or integral to the mounting region, and a flexure supported by the load beam for mounting a magnetic read/write head slider. The one or more microactuators are incorporated to accurately and quickly position the head slider over the desired track on the magnetic disk. Suspensions of these types are disclosed, for example, in the Schirle U.S. Pat. No. 6,621,653, the Kulangara U.S. Pat. No. 7,595,965, the Liu U.S. Patent Application Publication 2011/0228425 and the Okawara U.S. Patent Application Publication 2010/0067151. These references are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties and for all purposes.
The microactuators of head suspensions are typically placed along the loading plate. However, such microactuators must move the distal portion of the base plate and the entire load beam. Relocating the microactuators distally can require the microactuators to move less mass, but distal repositioning of the microactuators may reduce the stroke actuation of the head slider and can cause stability challenges if the actuators are placed along the less stiff load beam. Efforts to miniaturize disk drive head suspensions while at the same time maintaining or increasing performance specifications results in a continuing need for improved DSA-related structures. DSA structures that can provide increased servo bandwidth, increased stroke, increased stability, and/or lower mass would be advantageous.